The highly-regarded Wessen Lawn Tennis Club in Pontiac, Michigan (just outside of Detroit) is hosting a new $10,000 men’s prize money tennis tournament – branded the U.S. Grass Court Championships – June 20-23. The event will be played on perennial rye grass courts – the same type of “high-bouncing” grass courts that have been featured at Wimbledon since 2002. The singles winner will win a $3,000 first prize and $1500 will be awarded for the winning doubles team. For more information and to sign up, go here: https://tennislink.usta.com:443/tournaments/tournamenthome/tournament.aspx?T=221594 or contact Randy Walker at [email protected]

The facility features 24 perennial-rye grass courts, the exact type of specific grass courts as Wimbledon. The latitude and climate of Pontiac is also very close to that of London, sitting at 42 degree latitude vs. 51 degrees latitude for London allowing for the perennial rye grass to be in the same condition as at the All England Club and providing for an excellent North American training stop for any player planning to play in Wimbledon, Wimbledon qualifying or in the Wimbledon junior championships. Many tennis observers have called the facility, including an immaculately decorated clubhouse, as one of the best tennis clubs in the country, if not the world.

“We’d like to be a stop for player who want to get a few days under our immaculate grass courts before taking off on a direct flight out of Detroit to Britain,” said Bill Massie, the owner and architect of the Wessen Lawn Tennis Club to WorldTennisMagazine.com here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/14624. “Our goal is to get a few players who want to get while also giving other players a competitive opportunity on grass to gain experience on the surface and a chance to earn some prize money.”

Massie’s ultimate long-term goal for his club is to host an ATP 250 level professional event with a shorter term goal being to host a men’s and/or women’s challenger tournament.